Sunday in Israel marked The national day for disabled veteran appreciation. This is the second year that the recognition day is marked by the "Nefesh Ahat" (Hebrew for “One Soul”) governmental policy reforms, which are designed to improve the treatment of disabled IDF vets, with an emphasis on those dealing with PTSD.
The Myrrh and Frankincense plants were huge hits in the ancient world. They were mostly known as perfume and incense plants but were also famous for their healing abilities. Although they are not originally indigenous to Israel and were brought in from Yemen and Ethiopia, the gospel of these wondrous plants was spread from the holy land.
In both PCR and genetic flooring tests performed in recent days on returnees from abroad who agreed to be tested, three people were found to be carrying a new sub-strain of Omicron - BA.2.75. The travelers had been in France, and it is suspected this is where they contracted the virus.
The Jerusalem Municipality has been running a special program that helps families where the parents suffer from some form of mental difficulties. The program allows them to cope with their daily struggles.
The mental struggles of parents’ can have serious effects on children. A parent with a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or other psychotic disorders is unable to see what their children are going through, let alone be attentive to their needs. This has many negative consequences for the children themselves and the parents' inability to seek help.
Due to the lack of comprehensive treatments for families suffering from the mental illness of a parent, the Jerusalem Municipality has established a unique guidance program that aims to help support these families and enable the children to lead as normal a life as possible..
The results of this program, known as Rosh Hashanah (which is a play on words - it literally translates into ‘New Year’ in Hebrew, but Rosh also means head and the root of the word shana is the same as the word for 'change') have shown a significant improvement in functional abilities among both children and parents.
To date, the program has treated about 100 families, including about 180 children. Eight hospitalization cases where the hospitalization of parents have been avoided. 13 cases where the children ended up being cared for outside the home. Beyond the emotional significance, the program has resulted in savings of hundreds of thousands of shekels a year in medical and social welfare costs.
As part of the program, a social worker from the Welfare Department visits the patients' homes for two years, during which she meets with the parents and children, guides them, explains to the children how to care for the parent, and helps create an agenda and identify.
The social worker is also in constant contact with the parents' family caregivers in the community and with the children's educational staff, and assists in finding afternoon frameworks and supportive mental health care for the children if necessary.
Linoy Gigi and her partner who live in the Gilo neighborhood and are parents of two, participated in the program for about three years due to the mental disability they both suffer from. They were monitored closely by a social worker on behalf of the program about twice a week for three years.
Linoy says: "I suffered from mental states that included hospitalizations, but the program saved us, especially during the Corona period. We acquired appropriate tools for healthy parenting, and learned how to communicate with the children and set an example for them in a strong, warm and supportive presence."
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon says: "The Jerusalem Municipality helps families who face life challenges and complex family situations. The collaborations between the mental health and welfare systems in Jerusalem are groundbreaking and inspire other cities to develop unique models of this kind."
Rambam Medical Center In Haifa is one of the most recognized Medical institutions in the world, of course, they have a top-tier trauma center - some even say the best in the world - but it is their innovation that truly sets them apart. It was reported last week that the Hospital has been using an experimental treatment with much success to help women with a chronic conditions.
Between five and ten percent of women suffer from endometriosis during childbearing ages. Endometriosis is a gynecological disease that only about a year ago was recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Health as a chronic disease, characterized by severe abdominal and pelvic pain.
It is one of the most severe and common diseases in women - an inflammatory disease in which cells similar to the cells of the lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus, in organs such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or other areas of the abdomen and pelvis.
People will soon be able to decide when they want to age, or even age at all as scientists close in on the fountain of youth. Scientists at Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and colleagues abroad in a new s… https://t.co/zpUxvB06C5
For several months now, Rambam has been treating women suffering from endometriosis with laser burn surgery. So far, about 15 successful surgeries have been conducted. Dr. Yuri Paz, director of the gynecological endoscopy unit, explains: "The disease causes damage to the ovaries and eventually leads to severe menstrual cramps and ovulation pain. Over time it can turn into chronic pain that also causes fertility problems and pain during intercourse. Usually, the treatment is hormonal, and in some cases, the women even come for surgery."
The usual surgical method, Dr. Paz explains, involves removing and eliminating those cells affected by endometriosis rheumatoid arthritis, and cysts from the ovaries. Replacing the damaged cells with healthy tissue during surgery causes less damage. The difference between standard surgery and laser use is that we do not remove the tissue of the endometriosis but burn it. The risk is smaller and there is minimal damage to the surrounding tissue. "
"The recovery was not easy but compared to what I experienced all the last few months - it was bearable. Now I have almost no pain. Life has improved miraculously since then. I completely recovered and my children got their mother back. I never imagined I would be like this a month after surgery," anonymous patient ‘A’ says.
She further adds: "Not everyone is familiar with this treatment, not even the doctors, and it is very important to check the treatment because the second option can also cause harm."
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The surgery is currently only offered at Rambam Hospital. Dr. Paz: "Any patient who needs surgical treatment can apply for laser treatment as part of the State offered insurance. I believe that more hospitals will soon purchase the device and start using it. What is most important here We know that when we reduce the damage to healthy ovarian tissue, it should ensure more success in future fertility, even though we do not yet have accurate data. "